GurukulPromoting Indian Languages, Arts and Culture Since 1998

Frequently Asked Questions



What events are held during the year?

Diwali - . Activities and games for kids. Sweets and snacks may be provided. Beautiful​ decorations. dance drama on Indian mythology to show good over evil.Dancing to DJ music. 
Bazaar/ Republic day : An opportunity for children to shop in Indian style bazaar and learn some bargaining skills using the languages they are learning.  Flag hoisting for Republic day. 
Annual Day - Children demonstrate what they have learnt throughout the year.
Picnic - Play Indian games, socialize and snacks.  Dance to DJ music.

Class - when does the Gurukul session start and end?

Gurukul session generally begins the second Sunday, after Labor Day, in September.  The classes are conducted most every Sunday through May of the following year. Please view the calendar for more detailed schedule of classes. 

Class - who teaches the classes?

Classes are taught by pre-selected volunteers from our own community. Three teachers are present during each class.

Class - how many kids are in each class?

Class size varies depending on the level and age group. The number of kids can be between 12 and 22 per class. There are 3 teachers in each class to keep a very healthy ratio.

Class - what is the common routine of the classes?

(Seattle locations ONLY):

9:40 AM - Parents drop off children in assembly area for assembly.
9:45 AM - Assembly. Teachers tke children to classrooms.
10:00 AM – Classes begin. Teachers take children to classrooms.
12:15 Noon – Classes end. Parents pick up children from classrooms.

Nashville classes are held on Saturday.

Class - where are the Gurukul classes held?

Gurukul Hindi classes are held at following locations: 

Bellevue Address:

Hindi: Interlake High School, 16245 NE 24ths Street, Bellevue, WA 98008

Kannada, and Marathi: Odle Middle School, 502 143rd Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98007


Bothell Address:

North Creek High School, 3613 191st Pl SE, Bothell, WA 98012

Nashville Address:
TBD

How do I add an email address to my student's class email list?

Teachers send out regular emails to a mailing list. All registered parents of each student are members of that mailing list. Please check your email ids on the family profile page.

 
  1. Please visit Gurukul site http://web.gurukul-wa.org/
  2. Click on the 'Class Site', it will prompt you for sign-in if not already signed-in.
  3. In the Left navigation section, Please find link for 'Family Profile​'
  4. Please follow the instructions on the Family Profile page to edit the information.


Class - how much homework should I expect every week?

Gurukul students should expect an average of 30 minutes of homework every week. In order for the child to get the maximum benefit of attending Gurukul, we highly encourage that parents follow up to make sure homework is done regularly, and the child has adequate quality time available to do their homework.

Do I have to volunteer to enroll my child in Gurukul?

Gurukul requires minimm of 15 hours of volunteer hours per child. This goal can be easily achieved by volunteering for Gurukul events etc. You are not required to volunteer every week.

​Gurukul is run by dedicated parent volunteers. Many of the parents volunteer to be teacher, committee members etc. in addtion to helping with various activities.

Class - what are attendance requriements?

​70% attendance is requried for child to be promoted to next level.​ 

Students are required to have at least 70% attendance during the school year for promotion eligibility to next academic level.  All vacations, time with family, or sick time is not excused time off.​


Matching - how do I submit a time matching request to Microsoft

  1. Go to http://give
  2. Click on "Match Time"
  3. Search for "Gurukul" in "What cause did you volunteer for?" text box.
  4. Select and add "Gurukul WA". You should be able to see the Gurukul logo with this selection.
  5. Enter the volunteer time in hours and minutes.
  6. Enter the start and end date for volunteer hours.
  7. Select "Company Match" for "Choose your volunteer rewards"
  8. Enter description of the volunteering work you did at Gurukul in "Comments for Admin" text box.
  9. Choose a volunteer experience rating.
  10. Click on "Confirm Volunteer Time".

We recommend that you put this activity on your calendar and match your time on monthly basis to avoid forgetting about it.​

Policy for Make-up tests for Mid term and Final exams

NO makeup or retests will be offered for the 2 evaluations conducted during the year. The dates offered on the calendar are the only opportunity for students to take the test. Mid term evaluations have weightage towards final grade. Non-attempt of final evaluation will result in student repeating the level they are currently in.​

Holidays - what holidays are celebrated?

Gurukul generally follows the local school district calendar. Please note that we do not close for certain federal holidays, including Veterans Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Gurukul teaches students about all major Indian festivals, but we do not close for most festival days.
We make exceptions in two situations:

  • When Gurukul hosts an offsite Dandiya/Diwali celebration, we usually give the following day off so volunteers can rest.
  • If Diwali falls on a Saturday or Sunday, we may give that weekend off.

_New students - how can I register my child to attend Gurukul classes?

You need to waitlist your child for Gurukul classes at the following link https://gurukulweb.azurewebsites.net/ 

Adding to Waitlist does not guarantee admission.

1 .Click on the link for Waitlist at the top

2. Complete the Waitlist for and Submit.

3. You will be contacted in Feb/March time period to attend an informational session.

4. When we open registration, you will get information to register your child.

Registration depends on space availability and number of teaching volunteers.

When does Gurukul Registration start?

Gurukul accepts waitlist requests via our website.
Please note that waitlistng does not guarantee admission. This enables us to notify you when Gurukul opens registration.
Gurukul generally holds an official registration event between March and May. We will publish the registration dates on the website and communicate the information to all who waitlisted in our Online System.

_New students - new students - how old must my child be enroll in Gurukul?

The child must be 5 years old by August 31st, of the session year.

Fees - what is the cost structure for attending Gurukul?

Contribution amount for Gurukul classes is $450 per student for all locations for the entire year. Siblings get $25 discount. Contribution covers the cost of renting the space, materials and events. 

Contribution should be paid in full, online during registration.

Tentative dates for 2026-27

Returning students 
    - With discount - Mar 15 to Mar 30 ($400)
  • Standard fees - after April 1 ($450)
  • Late fees - limited programs, after Aug 15 only if open and has capacity ($500)
New students can register 
  • Priority admission - Apr 10–17;
  • Remaining new, with discount - Apr 19–30 ($400)
  • Standard fees - after May 1, only if open ($450)
  • Late fees - limited programs, after Aug 15 only if open and has capacity ($500)


_New students - can I register during the first day of class or in the middle of the session?

No, registration is only allowed during registration period published on Gurukul website. All available spots are full by this time and hence there is no opportunity to register new kids.

Returning students - how are current students enrolled to subsequent year?

Current students registrations open sometime in Feb/March, they are notified via email.  To complete the registration they need to logon to Gurukul website and follow the instructions on the home page. 
Registration is considered complete after the donation is paid.

_New students - how can I get more information related to Registration?

​You can email to registration@gurukul-wa.org for questions.​

Request for Class re-assignments

Gurukul class assignment is done based on student distribution according to age and gender.
Regarding the class change:
We do class changes on case by case basis.
The valid reasons could be:
Medical/ allergy conditions Teachers request/ recommendations Class size leveling (By Gurukul admin) We do not allow class change for:
My kid needs to be with his/ her friends My kid wants or does not want a particular teacher.

_New students - my kid is waitlisted for next year, will he/she definitely get in?

  • Make sure you add your children to waitlist for next year, if the current year registrations are closed.
  • We process the waitlists after we complete the registration of existing students and siblings, depending on the vacancy left at that time.
  • We will send the invitation for waitlisted students around April/May.
  • Registration is first come first serve when it opens.
  • We do NOT know how many spots will be open next year.


_New students - can I register for "Language Only" or "Culture Only" class?

​No. Gurukul provides an integrated program of one language and culture.  You can choose one of the language offered at Gurukul, culture comes as a part of the program.

_New students - can I register my child in two languages?

​No. We do not offer registration in multiple languages. We believe that learning one language and culture is a lot of  work for young children. 

Location - can I apply to move my child from one location to another?

​Gurukul does not allow students to move from one location to another.

The only time you can move locations is during open registration (if the other location offers the language and level and has openings). These moves follow the same timeline as other registrations for cancellation, late fees, etc.

__Age and other requirements for all levels

​Gurukul follows a strict cut off date.
- Students need to be 5 years on August 31 of the school year they are enrolling for. There are no exceptions to this.
- Students who are 5 years will ONLY be placed in KG class, irrespective of their prior knowlege of language.
- Students who are 6 but under 8 year old new registrations will go directly to Level 1 and 8+ into the accelerated 1-2 program.
- There is no placement test for KG, 1 and 1-2 level.
- Student may test for placement in Levels 2 – 4, ONLY if they meet the age requirements. Gurukul does not test for placement in Level 5 and 6. No exceptions will be made in age criteria regardless of knowledge of the language.   

How can I help?

Volunteering Opportunities

You can volunteer in many ways to help run Gurukul. Here are some opportunities. Send mail to volunteer@gurukul-wa.org with your interest.
1. Hindi Teacher: Teaches Hindi language to a class.
2. Marathi Teacher: Teaches Marathi language to a class.
3. Culture Teacher: Teaches cultural education to a class.
4. Events Committee: You can help with planning and execution of various events such as Diwali, Annual Day, Picnic/Holi and Summer Camp.
5. Cultural Committee: You can help develop and enrich Gurukul cultural syllabus and material.
6. Hindi, Marathi Committees: You can assist with revising the syllabus throughout the year by getting feedback from teachers and parents. You can also help figure out the best way to help our children with conversations. More detailed information will be available on Gurukul website soon.
7. Operations: You can help running daily Gurukul operations as well as taking care of supplies.
8. IT: Help automating various Gurukul processes, maintain and enhancement to the website and registration apps, etc.
9. HR: Help with volunteer recruitement, onboarding, recognition, training, surveys etc.
10. Special skills: You can also help with legal, graphics design, writing, programming etc.
 
The details of the volunteering opportunities along with categories are available when you register your child and you should sign up for volunteering along with child registration. This helps us contact you for volunteering needs.

Can a Gurukul Student get Foreign Language Test credits at High School

​Yes. If you are a Hindi, Kannada and Marathi * Language student there is testing available at various School Districts that you can take and get credits that suffice the Foreign Language requirements for High School and College.

  1. Most school districts in the Seattle and greater Seattle area are now offering these tests in the schools and they are either at no-cost or very low cost to the tester.

a)       STAMP TEST:

https://avantassessment.com/stamp4s

https://avantassessment.com/stamp4s/benchmarks-rubric-guide

https://avantassessment.com/stamp4s/test-taker-parent-guide

 

b)      ALTA TEST: (Available for Hindi and Gujarati languages)

https://www.altalang.com/language-testing/

https://www.altalang.com/language-testing/speakinglisten/

https://www.altalang.com/language-testing/reading/

https://www.altalang.com/language-testing/writing/


 * Marathi Language : World Language Competency Test is available for Marathi Language in Bellevue School District (BSD), Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and North Shore School District. In BSD and LWSD, student needs to request it as a custom test. If you have additional questions, please send those to Marathi@gurukul-wa.org​


You have to contact the school district or your HIGH SCHOOL to take these tests. The dates are published on their sites. You have to be in High School to take the test.

Preparing for the Test:

1. If you are a Gurukul student, all the way to Level 6, the curriculum provides adequate material towards preparing the student to take this test. 

2. Some material has been assembled by Gurukul Volunteers to help prepare for this test. This is just a sampling. Sample Prep Material (you will need Gurukul credentials to view)

3. Gurukul attempts to offer Prep classes only for Gurukul Alumni in February if we have enough interested students and Teacher Resource availability. To sign up please email us in January to get your name put on the list.

SAMPLE MATERIAL: Sample Prep Material

Gurukul is willing to provide guidance and material to their alumni students to also prepare for this test at home.​

External Resources Link: Some mock tests and sample test papers are also available at this site.

https://www.gyanacademy.com/usa-bilingual-credits/


_How can I sign up for prep classes for this year?

Many School districts in the greater Seattle area offer Standardized Foreign language tests in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and many other languages, if taken award students credit for their foreign language requirements on their High school transcript as well as suffice some college requirements. 


  1. What are these tests.
  2. Eligibility
  3. Registration
  4. Preparing for this test
  5. Taking the Test

 

Gurukul will conduct an informational meeting once a year. For 2025-26 curriculum year pls note the dates:

When: Saturday Dec 13th 2025

Time: 10:30 AM

Venue: MSTeams Online

 

//Note: meeting is open for Gurukul family parents only. People from Outside of the org will not be able to join.


If your students are taking the upcoming tests, we may be able to offer some classes for preparing your students for this test. This is only available to current and past Gurukul students.

The classes (2025-26 year) will be offered on the following dates: 

  • TBD
  • Time:TBD
  • Venue: Online class only. MS Teams Meeting. Link will be shared.
  • Signup Form: PrepClassSignup

 

Last Date to Signup: Sunday 1/18

       Min Class size for the prep class = 10


*Signing up does not guarantee that we can accomodate your student. 

* You may signup for the following year using the form. That way you will get in our list to invite you to the next informational and signups.


Registration links for School Districts

​

School District

Registration

Mercer Island

 https://www.mercerislandschools.org/domain/1954

Kent SD

https://www.kent.k12.wa.us/Page/10801

Northshore

https://www.nsd.org/schools/academics/assessment/world-language-competency-test

Issaquah SD

https://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/libertyhs/academics/assessment/world-language-competency-testing

LWSD

https://www.lwsd.org/schools/high-school/high-school-guide/world-language-credit-options

BSD

https://bsd405.org/departments/curriculum/world-language/competency-credits/


Can Gurukul fees be used for tax purposes?

Fees paid by students covers tuition, and is not tax deductible.

How do I cancel registration and request refund?

If you need to cancel a student’s enrollment or request a refund, please open the registration confirmation email you received from Gurukul and submit the form linked there. 

Please note that there will be a $50 administrative fee per student.  The time for receiving the refund is about 10 business days.

Refund will be issued upto 6/15/2026. $50 per student is deducted as admistrative fee. There will be no refunds after this date.

When will classes start for 2026-27 year?

Classes will start on 9/13/2026. We will send email to all parents by first week of September with class assignments and other details.Gurukul Calendar 2026-2027: https://gurukulweb.azurewebsites.net/Home/Calendar?startYear=2026

How do I get a receipt for contribution paid?

Gurukul does not provide registration receipt. After registering, families will receive an email from PayPal with payment details.

How do I request my student to be placed in higher level?

​New students only, may test for placement in Levels 2 – 4, ONLY if they meet the age requirements (see below. NO EXCEPTIONS will be entertained).

By Default New students are placed in Level KG, 1 or 1-2. (See criteria in table below). Students do not need to test into the default level.

  1. Placement test is ONLY applicable to new students who are already skilled in language and culture from pre-existing knowledge. Already enrolled students MAY NOT use this test to jump levels. No requests can be considered in this regard.
  2. The test is administered in May. The date coincides with the Gurukul Final exam date and is published as a part of the Regisration process to ALL parents. 
  3. Only ONE opportunity is provided to take this test. No alternative dates can be offered for logistics reasons. Any requests in this regard will be denied/not responded to.
  4. Student will be tested in ALL SUBJECT AREAS (Language, Spoken Language and Culture) and must receive 70% or more marks in each subject to quaify for this placement.
  5. Skill level Expectations for Levels are provided in a document link exposed as a part of the Registration Process. No additional information or preparation materials will be provided by Gurukul.


​Gurukul follows a strict cut off date.

​Level​Minimum Age
​2​Students need to be 7 years on August 31 of the school year
​3​Students need to be 8 years on August 31 of the school year
​4​Students need to be 9 years on August 31 of the school year
​​5 and 6​Gurukul does not test for placement in Level 5 and 6. No exceptions will be made in age criteria regardless of knowledge of the language
​KG​Students who are 5 years will ONLY be placed in KG class, irrespective of their prior knowlege of language.
​1​Students who are 6 but under 8 year old new registrations will go directly to Level 1
​1-2​New students who are 8+ are placed into the accelerated 1-2 program. Upon successful graduation from 1-2, they will move on to level 3 directly



Gurukul Evaluations and Promotion Criteria

​

GURUKUL FINAL LEVEL PROMOTION CRITERIA

Please note the following Criteria of Students to be promoted to the next Level after taking the Final Exams. Students NOT MEETING ANY of the Criteria listed will be asked to Repeat the Current Level or unenrolled per criteria requirements,

1.       70% attendance is required. A student with a very low attendance is taking up a spot in Gurukul that some other student can benefit from. Such students will be unenrolled for the following year.

2.       Homework: Student must maintain a minimum of B+ grade in homework submission to be considered for promotion to next level. HW is graded weekly and grade is not updated for late submissions after 2 weeks of due date.  

3.       Performance in classroom – general performance over the past year

GRADING SCALE:   C = 60-69%   B = 70 – 79%   B+ = 80 - 89%   A = 90 - 95%    A+ = 95+

    1. Participation  
    2. Classroom behavior – significant grade as well. If grade is significantly LOW, consider repeating the year.
    3. CUMULITIVE GRADE: Take average grade – should be at least a B to pass.

4.       FINAL TEST :  70% marks and above in Language test, spoken and culture tests.


Retest option for Student marked REPEAT fter Final Exams

​RETEST OPTION FOR STUDENTS RECOMMENDED TO REPEAT LEVEL AFTER FINALS

If a student has been Recommended to Repeat one or more sessions for Promotion to the Next level, student will be eligible to APPLY FOR RETEST FOR PROMOTION only between the dates of August 15th – August 25th of the session year. Parents are responsible for putting the dates on the calendar NOW. No reminders will be sent, and no late requests will be entertained.   

RETEST DATE: Saturday after Labor Day weekend. 

    • Retest Option/Form will become available on the Evaluation Page of your student’s record.  

  • Please NOTE: To qualify for taking this Test for promotion 

    • Student MUST meet eligibility criteria of minimum attendance at 70% and minimum “B+” grade for homework completion of the year.  
    • Student MUST have completed the SUMMER BOOK and SUBMIT it on the day of the test. 
    • Student MUST take ALL sessions where marks are below passing grade which is 70%.  
  • Test will be conducted on the Saturday after Labor day weekend. Please mark your calendars. Details regarding the test will be emailed a few days before the test.  THERE WILL BE NO ALTERNATE DATES OFFERED FOR THIS TEST. No requests for dates will be accomodated or responded to.  If student cannot make this date, the student will be placed in the level determined by test scores of the original final evaluation.  
  • Student will only be tested in the SUBJECT that he/she scored under minimum requirements. Subjects meeting 70%+ requirements will not be tested.  
  • Final scores and level assignment will be posted on student records and report card will be updated by the first day of Gurukul. Student MUST PASS all recommended sessions to be promoted.  
  • Student must ONLY TEST for the upcoming level promotion. This is NOT A PLACEMENT TEST for a higher level.  

  • This test is by request ONLY. You must apply within the specified dates. THIS IS NOT A WALK IN TEST.